Published: 10/02/2015
Release date: 9 February 2015. For immediate release
THE Beacon Museum will welcome US Navy Defence Attaché, Captain David Strachner as part of the annual John Paul Jones commemoration on Wednesday, February 11. Mayor of Copeland, Cllr Eileen Eastwood and Honorary Consul to the US Navy in Whitehaven, Rob Romano will join the party to see the museums displays relating to the town’s Anglo-American links, as well as the John Paul Jones stories.
John Paul Jones of the USS Ranger led a surprise attack on Whitehaven harbour on 22 April, 1778 with two boats and around 30 men armed with pistols and cutlasses. The plan was to disable the defences. The visitors will view the harbour and scene of the attack from the upper gallery. As part of the first Whitehaven Festival in 1999 the town ‘pardoned’ John Paul Jones and a peace treaty with the US Navy was signed. And this latest visit has been organised by Whitehaven Festival Director Gerard Richardson MBE.
The US Navy have visited Whitehaven on several occasions since signing the treaty, including the 2008 parade in front of the Queen. However this is the first since 2011.
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